Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-11-04
ELLA WHEELER WILCOX.


No more unique, distinctive, and at the
same time popular character stands before
the people to-day than Ella Wheeler
Wilcox.
Born in Wisconsin village some thirty
odd years ago, when Wisconsin YVES not
much more than frontier state, without
influential friends or family, and without
money, she made for herself name il
literature which commanded attention
before she was eighteen years old. To
ore who knows it in detail her history
reads Like fairy story. Reared on 3
western prairie, she is an ornament to
the most brilliant circles OF the metrOp-
oils.
She had never seen an editor or literary
person and knew nothing Of the methods
Of getting into print whep, at fourteen,
she read her first production to the press.
The New York Mercury published these
childish efforts which were written in
prose ard under nom-dc-plUmes.
1t declined the first poem she ever cent
for publication, and the editor es1csstic-
oily advised her to "crush her ambitions
to De poet"
The Waverly Magazine has the honor
TO be the first TO present the name Of Ella
Wheeler to the public.
Frank Leslie sent her the first check
she ever received st seventeen years OF
age,
From that time to the present day she
has never sWerved nor faltered in the
steady, hard climb toward success.
She never sent a manuscript in her life
for criticism and never asked for aid or
influence in her literary ventures.
During the last fifteen years Els
Wheeler has probably been the most crit
icised, atused, praised, misconstrued and
admired woman in the literary world.
Without particle OF effort to create
sensation, everything she has in that
time written has had the effect Of stirring
up criticism.
Her writings seem to be possessed Of
certain something combustible in their
composition, that on striking outer air
invariably rends 1t with more or less CT
en- explosion.
| Her first Published book was 'fDr0ps OF
Water" collection Of juvenile temper
ancs verses. These were crude but filed
with the dramatic enthusiasm which has so
permeated her later work, and provoked
praise and censure in proportionate guam
titles from the contending forces On the
liquor question.
"Shells," a little volume now out OF
print, comes next.
"Msurirne," By many considered her
finest work, and the famous Poems OF
Passion which set the literary world on
fire, followed within three years CT each
other.
Columns Of abuse and praise items rid
icuIing and eulogizing the latter volume
filed all the papers In the country.
Some of her friends urged her to sup
press the beck after its first appearance,
but strong in the courage Of her conEic-
tons, she read the gevere and unjust re-
views through tesre, not unmixed with
smiles at sight of the golden coins which
punctuated the comments of the critics.
Many OF these dollars were spent in
building home for sging parents, and
much of the halo now surrounding this
remarkable woran's life is the reflection
OF the generous deeds OF her esrly monied
life.
Milwaukee people gave her "oereft"
in MAY, 1883, when she was made the sub
iect of speech by United States Sena-
tor and was presented with china basket
containing $500 in gold.
Long before her hsppy marriage in May,
1854, with the elegant and cultivated gen.
tleman who brought her to the east, her
name was household word and she was
6 welcome guest in the best circles Of the
great northeast.
To her rare genius were added unusual
graces of person. She was brilliant
and tsctiul taIker, good dancer, and